Life, 1920-04-22 · page 6 of 44
Life — April 22, 1920 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **commercial advertisement** for Weed Tire Chains, occupying most of the page. The satirical cartoon at top illustrates the ad's central argument: a taxi with spinning rear wheels stuck in place while a man pushes, showing "plenty of power but no traction." The joke targets **taxi drivers and car owners who abuse their tires**, arguing they then wrongly blame worn wheels for slipping. The taxicab meter keeps running despite the wheels' useless spinning—a metaphor for wasted money and resources. The advertisement positions Weed Tire Chains as the solution: practical safety equipment that "lengthen[s] the life of tires" and "reduce operating expenses," especially for commercial vehicles. This reflects early-20th-century concerns about vehicle traction in poor weather, before modern tire technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Plenty of Power but no Traction— spinning wheels that get nowhere —and the man in the taxi believes he is paying for the futile spinning of the wheels. The meter on his car back home would register them in miles, He believes the taximeter is registering a charge against him for the useless spinning of the rear wheels and the resulting damage to the tires. A valuable object lesson, if it makes him think of his own car and how he abuses his own tires when he fails to put on Weed Tire Chains For Sure and Certain Traction The taxicab companies protect the Public and them- selves from skidding accidents—from excessive costs. Taxicab wheels spin only when drivers disobey the com- panies’ order to ‘‘Put on Tire Chains when streets are wet or slippery.’’ And to safeguard their patrons against the drivers’ possible negligence, the taximeter is attached to front wheels. Weed Tire Chains, when used judiciously, lengthen the life of tires. Whether they are used on taxicabs or on pleasure cars, Weed Tire Chains materially reduce operating expenses, Nothing looks more ridiculous than a spinning tite— nothing more brainlessly extravagant. Put on Weed Tire Chains “at the first drop of rain.” AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, Inc. BRIDGEPORT \¢/ CONNECTICUT In Canada: DOMINION CHAIN COMPANY, Limited, Niagara Falls, Ontario Largest Chain Manufacturers in the World The Complete Chain Linz -All Types, All Sizes, All Finishes—From Plumbers’ Safety Chain to Ships’ Anchor Chain General Sales Office: Grand Central Terminal, New York City District Sales Offices: Boston Chicago Philadelphia Pittsburg Portland, Ore. San Francisco @ nO oecteereneee Brn emia. |S: comicbooks.com